


flotilla

by brandywine421



Series: Unfinished AUs of Flail (aka fail) [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-06 05:34:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5404934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony remembers taxis.  The ones that ran on gas on highways.  The ones he would swipe a small scrap of plastic to pay.  The ones with air conditioning and windows.</p>
<p>Now there are carriages pulled by horses or unlucky fat children.  Boats with patchwork sails.  Trains sputtering down broken tracks running on whatever's left to burn for the antique steam engines.</p>
<p>His father funds his travels, knowing by now that the only way to keep him pacified and working for him without backlash is to let him see his friends.</p>
<p>Even if they're living in the middle of the ocean - Tony knows where he belongs.  He knows where the one thing on this busted earth that still matters lives.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Part of a collection of abandoned, but not unloved, fics I will never finish.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	flotilla

taxi.  
  
Tony remembers taxis.  The ones that ran on gas on highways.  The ones he would swipe a small scrap of plastic to pay.  The ones with air conditioning and windows.  
  
Now there are carriages pulled by horses or unlucky fat children.  Boats with patchwork sails.  Trains sputtering down broken tracks running on whatever's left to burn for the antique steam engines.  
  
His father funds his travels, knowing by now that the only way to keep him pacified and working for him without backlash is to let him see his friends.  
  
Even if they're living in the middle of the ocean - Tony knows where he belongs.  He knows where the one thing on this busted earth that still matters lives.  
  
So he takes his father's money, it's all the same anyway considering he's set to inherit the business and research when his parents finally kick it.  He kisses his mother's cheek goodbye and doesn't thank her out loud for the mysterious wine casks that appear in the train car.  He shakes his father's hand and doesn't thank him out loud or silently for the handful of gold he weighs down his jacket with.  
  
Steve doesn't need gold or wine, he trades food and medicine.  Water and fruit are his treasure chests but Tony will spend most of the gold buying those at the docks when his valet is finding their ride to the island.  Tony hopes he can find pineapples this time, Steve loves pineapples.  
  
"This boy's going to drive you mad if you let him.  Maybe you'll talk to him about coming ashore this time?" his mother whispers.  
  
Tony nods absently.  He talks about it every time, but Steve's happy.  Tony's happy when he's there so there's no reason for him to push for Steve to consider leaving.  
  
The last storm, that was dicey; but he made sure Steve and his floating family will be safe.  
  
"Soon.  I want to meet him soon," his mother adds.  "Be careful and send us a message when you've arrived safely."  
  
"And don't forget to include the results from the tests they're running for us, you know how important those stats could be," Howard says, meeting his gaze and actually acknowledging him.  
  
"Sure thing, to all of that.  I'll see you both sooner than I'd like," he winks, climbing into the lavish train car that's reserved for personal friends and family of the Trainmaster.  
  
Howard kept the trains running, the lanterns burning and the water pumping.  Considering the number of armed guards that shared their mansion - he was a pretty big deal.  Tony had a hand in a lot of his newer inventions but he isn't ready to go all in on the business.  
  
He could do just as much work on Steve's flotilla than he could do here.  With the right lab, that is.  
  
He settles into the window seat as his guard barks instructions to the engineer.  He has three books to finish before they get to the coast.  Steve doesn't like it when he brings him books that he hasn't read first for discussion later.  
  
His mother's right about one thing.  Steve Rogers has definitely driven him mad.  
  
  
  
  
trio.  
  
Steve knows that he's going to have a long day when he finds Natasha, Bucky and Sam waiting for him in his kitchen.  
  
"We have a mess hall for a reason," Steve says, nodding toward the bustling yacht visible through the window filled with hungry visitors.  He's glad he doesn't have to run the kitchen anymore, he likes being in charge of things that don't make him burn his hands or smell like onions.  
  
"We have an intervention once a month and it's your lucky day," Bucky smirks, holding out a cup of coffee, tan and steaming like Steve likes it.  
  
Steve sighs.  "You guys said that was just a myth."  Counting back, there had been a pattern of 'polite confrontations' lately.  Bucky drank all the cherry kool-aid three deliveries in a row.  Sam and Clint's prank-war wasted necessary nitrous oxide.  Natasha's topless tanning sessions upset the dolphins.  
  
Maybe it is his turn.  "All right.  What's on the agenda?"  
  
"You have to stop fucking the rich boy.  You're not his whore," Natasha says flatly.  
  
He chokes on the coffee.  "What?"  
  
"Stark.  He comes out, brings all kinds of exotic shit and then keeps you hostage for days.  We don't need him, not if you're fucking him for supplies," Bucky nods.  
  
Steve shakes his head and takes a breath before buckling over with laughter.  "Oh my God...you think I'm a whore..."  
  
"It's not funny - you're our friend and we don't want you to - " Sam starts, his voice gentle with concern.  
  
"Stop it, just - shut up." Steve gasps as he fights his amusement to pull the cell phone out of the drawer below the counter.  Cell phones didn't work for calls or texting anymore but they still stored pictures and he flipped back in the history and held up the screen.  "I've known Tony since before the world ended.  He was my first hand job, but it doesn't count as virginity.  Don't bring it up, it always starts a fight."  
  
Natasha and Bucky both reach to snap the phone out of his hand but Sam catches it when they cancel each other out.  
  
"Seriously?  I'm your best friend - I would've known that..."  
  
Steve rolls his eyes.  "Remember I went to the special summer programs for gifted kids?  He's younger than me but he taught some of the classes.  Not ones that I took, but we were friends.  You spent those summers baking your mom's van and hauling furniture."  
  
"If that's true, why haven't you told us you were boyfriends before?" Natasha accuses.  
  
"We're not boyfriends.  He lives in California and I live in the middle of the ocean.  He's rich and smart and important, like, he's a big deal in the real world," Steve says.  
  
"Does he want to be your boyfriend?  All the upgrades and fancy supplies - is he courting you, Steve?" Sam asks.  
  
He shifts uncomfortably.  "I never thought about it like that.  He has studies going on with Bruce and Reed and...I'm sure he has girlfriends in California."  
  
Natasha scoffs.  "That kid wouldn't waste his time ferrying this far if he wasn't head over ass in love with you.  I thought Bucky was the one that played games."  
  
"I'm not playing games.  I'm being realistic," Steve says.  He lowers his voice.  "I don't have anything to offer him."  
  
"Stuff it, Steve.  You're an awesome guy and you've got chicks tripping over themselves to get a piece of you but the only person you give a second look is this kid," Bucky said, waving the picture of Steve, three inches shorter, and Tony in thick glasses.  "I have to interrogate him, but if he's been chasing you this long then maybe..."  
  
"You can't give me advice on this," Steve says.  He takes the phone and tucks it back into the drawer.  "There's a lot of history that Tony and I have to get past before I can commit to anything.  And you can't interrogate him.  You haven't bothered him before, he'll know something's up."  
  
He realizes that this is a step.  If his friends know that he and Tony are a 'thing', then he can't take it back.  
  
"We weren't always nice to each other, before.  We talked online, by text, all the time.  It was a relationship, sort of.  It was messy," Steve frowns.  "Things are different now but it's my decision.  I'm not a whore."  
  
Sam and Natasha nod but Bucky sighs heavily.  "I guess we can count this as a successful intervention anyway since we got a whole lotta confessions out of you."  
  
  
  
patriotic.  
  
"What's with the color scheme?" Happy asks.  
  
Happy's one of his favorite security guys but he's never been to the flotilla with Tony before.  He usually gets stuck with one of his father's men and he's taking Happy's assignment as a sign of trust from his parents.  They don't like him spending so much time with Steve but maybe sending Tony's favorite guard is a sign that they're accepting his relationship for real this time.  
  
He's been dating way before it was legal, before the end of the world and he's made a lot of mistakes.  He's had girlfriends and boyfriends, but he'll only ever have one Steve.  
  
Steve's the only guy that's stuck with him - that actually kept the friend part alive when the boyfriend part was over.  
  
He's going to convince him to take back the boyfriend part of it.  
  
"Tony?" Happy catches his attention.  
  
"Oh, the red, white and blue?  They work mostly on the barter system and they got a deal on waterproof paint.  They've been doing all their maintenance on the water but there are always plans to redo them if they have to go into a port," Tony replies.  "I can't believe you've never come here with me.  You're going to love it," he adds.  
  
"Considering how long it's taking us to get here, I'm hoping so," Happy says.  
  
The buoys are getting closer together now and he can see the patrols fishing and securing the perimeter.  "I'll walk you through.  We're going to be in the guest marina, the walkways are secured from the docks.  They don't have lodgings readily available,but there are a few bars, a casino, a spa, anything you can think of.  There are a lot of supplies for barter but I try and save that until the week we're leaving.  So, a while.  I stay with Steve when I'm here and he's got a yacht with a separate suite for you."  
  
"Did you buy it for him?" Happy smirks.  
  
"No, but I definitely didn't disapprove when I saw it.  It's safe, I mean, he's the boss out here," Tony replies.  
  
Happy jostled him.  "Go check your stuff while I make sure we're still on track, or course, whatever.  Dennis said there will be people to help unload and allegedly, you're going to surprise your boy."  
  
"I am, aren't I?"  



End file.
